Cotton-picking apparatus



Sept. 5, 1950 Filed June 29, 1944 C. R. HAGEN COTTON PICKING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV ENT OR.

BY pgiarzzce fij czgerz.

Sept. 5, 1950 c. R. HAGEN COTTON PICKING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1944 NG QW N d ,I I

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INVENT OR. zarerzae fifla BY gerz mm W 2% Patented Sept. 5, 1950 UNITE EDI? E awn one!

GQT TON P-IGKING APPARATUS Clarence Re Hagem; Chicago, 7111., I assignonutos In: ternationaliHarvester Company, aaconporationr Application Jl'lnef29fl 1944, Serial ND; 542;7'711 4. Claims. (01. 56i11) 1 v v This invention. relatesto=@'c,o-tton: picking: ap paratus-z More particularly; therzinvention conecemsran improved cottonpick-ing gunit having a-n op'erutop plant-receiving::passage and extractor;

oitvvh'roh said-innit: is 'rniountablezto plaoeasaid;

passagetrin; visioni .alinement iforg-ian; zoperatoiz'at the-:tractors operator station.

The. .-bo1'1s of cottonaplantszma-turez prognesesiitely "in; point of; time s throughout; aapicking': seasom which is of r suflicie'ntzdurationsifor the: piants 130- he pickedsseveral,times;v Those --bo11s--: upon the a lower partsto-fiithe plantsezmatnreifirst so' th'atinnthe initial picking of i'a zfiel'dzimostaofif the uppermostibolls willlbe unopened'n. Theizezisf;

no need, therefore, atrthattctime irizs-ubieeting 151:

the flipper parts of the p1antsstoz'successive' piok:..- ingtreatment o y picker finger:groups-arranged? I11; tandem; An obj ect "ofthisLilli/ED110111?iS-TthBEpIZOF: vi's'ion in-a cotton picking 'nnitiin'rwh'ichftheepiantx receiving passage is open iniat least parti 'o?it'sipicking-unit having'a plant receiving" pas-sage; to

gethen-with a plant deflecting coverplttadiatach ably-assembled over aportion 'of the passage foi deflecting the tops of piants :downwardly-Ante the passage When desired An additional object is the provision iof ai cottton picking'nnit with picker assemblies! arranged inzzt'andem' Within a: plant?receiving1 passagezof Winch: at least' that'- part of itiie passage opposite: the-front'assembiy is. open atithevtopnand a-planit: deflecting coverv detachably :moun'tedz; upon:v the"- unitover said part of the passage The :aboveandi'othen desirableiobjectssinherent" in and encompassed by'the inventionzwiilzbezbetie tennnderstood upon reading: theiensning'sdescriptionf; With:.;,references to the t annexed idea-wings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side:elevationai;viewzofi;aitractonrand cottona'picking" apparatus assembled-i according-iteand 'embodying'a preferredio'nm:ofitheainvention; The proximate rear Wheel: of; the :tractorrbein-gi removedxto :expose parts-ofthe apparatus Fig-:2 is anplan' view of the-i'lra'cboriamitxapparatie tus: show-min Fig; 1, there'being 3 13018171011? of thetractor fuel tankzbroken awayfi,"

Fig:: .33 is a planz-viewofa "ataicottone conveyingq 2 v bIOWBIn emp loyed inithe-apparatus;- and? instal-ledie; below the cotten'rreceptacle as:illustratedwimfiigg 1;" and-'5 Eiggeis.a verticatsectional viewtaken through: thewplant passage nf t-hepicking nnit as; in dicateda by the: 1inea4 --4 :intFig; 2.

The Tractor"- Thestractor- :UDOIliVfhiCh the appanatusris hGIE-Bc in (assembled: isione. variety; Giff 3151 11 titactorvoomw prising a body Ia!513330160tiHQxfO-IfiVtEdlYrfiZOl'i'iJiODg-ipositel-y- ','extendings. "ear: axle hous-ings H-rand: I'Z'e Attheiront portiornof the body: I flisl theuconvem-itionallye, placed internal; combustion: engine: L3? superposed.iby'a-fueLtank; sl t-and aehooda-l fia A shafinl 5x31 l'iha frOnb i'Jfthe tractor 1is= anventen:-.-.- sionnofzthe-aengine crankw-shatta Support font-hen inontrend"; ofthe-.tiiaotoris provvide'dzby ithe 111511312; steering tnuck H comprising a: ground -engagi steering; wheeln i 8;: Support" for-the: rearii'end of; the :t-nactor 1 is? provided.- byrear traction ,awheels: Iik'and: Z-tat theaouiIer-ends of theiaxiezhousingelithandslii Aneoper-atonsnstation includes? an operatorfsr seati-Z iasuitablygsuppontediadjacentlytoandtoizenr theeaxle.-;housing !2sthat;: is to:onevsiderwtthee tractor; body? I 0.1 The; tractor steeringgtwhzeelv 25*? iSSFdiI'BfltlYfi-KLfKODtLOfi: the :seat: 24,

cotton-picking-yunit and support'th'ereffor j A cotton picking unitgenerally designatedezie is:- of thBc': revels/able spindle. type. This; unit, which isispl'aeedeat the-righttof;lthentraotombodyp includesa casing 21 separated: fromwaqpressurev plate assembly2:8izbyea:eplantare'ceiving passage: 29iwhich .extendsimvintuat-parallelism with thee principala orx z-longitudinal axis of ;the.- -tractor wand which passageis"; openzt-tat its: oppositeeendss i. facilitate: movement. oft. the: unit lengthwise of the, plant rowan Twogroups; A and; 13;: orirasseme bliesaofvcottoneipickingspindles: are; enclosed ini that-casing 2-1:: in; antandem arrangement; with: the assembly;Audisposed:;.forwardly;of theaase semblyaB: Cottonpicking; a'ssemb1ies;;or"instrumentaiities A-and-B may eachibeof thepharaeter:

fUHyf'dBSCBiDGdE in: Unitedestates:PatentQA 40,631; SO iit .twilltsufiice for; the present disolosurezamerely; to-t. explains that; the'ggpiflkelz"SpindlESa SP 0f; thei assemb1ies;-A- andrBarerrevolved generailyg about vertical axes-A2. and; B;-:' (show-11:. as? points; i'm Figure 23L to causeiztheir itips'ito foliow the path indicated: by tthez dotedashziinesaasandsbmr It will beeseen; therefore; thats'picking: instrumentalityr' parts inztheeform of.-the-picker: spind1es,--,whiie they'g aitezibeing: revolved: about ithes axes: and: B1; are-.successivelyproj ectedintoandxwithdrawm from. thev'plant receiving; IWssagerZB' throughsthe: sideiofethe compartment forming-one side'xofigthe: plant;reoeivingsipassagea Said: side 01FZt-he,.-=;com:-:

pantmenteservesi assopeningmnovidingtmeanssim the respect of containing an opening or openings through which the spindles can project into the passage. While in the passage and while rotating about their individual axes, these spindles engage and cause the cotton of ripened bolls to be wound thereabout so that upon retraction of the spindles into the casing or crop receiving compartment 21, this cotton will be withdrawn from the bolls.

plants disposed within th passage will be operated upon throughout the height of the passage.

The spindles SP revolve in the direction indicated by the arrows AW, and upon arriving in registry with a group of vertically spaced coaxial dofiing disks of which the uppermost is shown in dotted outline at D, the cotton is removed from the spindles by these disks and discharged into'the casing 21. Subsequently, the spindles come in registry with vertically aligned and spaced moistening disks of which the uppermost is shown in dotted outline at M and by means of which the spindles are moistened prior to again being projected into the plant receiving passage. The casing 21, in addition to housing the picking spindle sets, the doffer disks and the moistening disks, also serves as an air chamber of a pneumatic system for the conduction Of the picked cotton away from the picker finger assemblies into a cotton receptacle 3!. Air is drawn into the casing 21 through the openings at the plant passage where the picking fingers extend outwardly into said passage, and this air laden with the cotton doifed from the spindles, lead's'upwardly through conduit legs 32 and 33, Figure 1, for ultimate delivery into the receptacle 3|. Doors 34 and 35 upon the outer side of the casing 21 pivot at their forward ends about axes which are coaxial with the lower ends ofthe conduit legs 32 and 33, and these doors have short' conduit necks 36 and 31 pivotable within the conduit legs to facilitate opening and closing 'of the doors.

Access is thereby easily had to the picker spindles, the dofiing apparatus and the spindle moistening apparatus from the outer side of the picking unit 26. V

That side of the plant receiving passage 29 opposite to' the casing Z'I'is formed by plant pressing plates 38, 39, and 40 which are yieldably held into the positions illustrated so that they may be displaced towardthe tractor engine when pressed upon by a profuse plant growth occupying the passage 29. The pressure plate assembly 28 is supported from the chamber 2! by a horizontal rod M at the upper forward end of the passage 29 and by a passage covering plate 42 at the rear end of the passage in registry with the rear picker spindle assembly B.

In Figs. 2-and 4, the front portion of the plant receiving passage'29 can be seen to be covered by a detachable covering plate 43 having a hori-' and for th bolls at the top of the plant to ripen or mature last. Since the bolls mature successively throughout a picking season of considerable duration, it is the practice with cotton picking machinery, as it has always been in hand picking, to pick the field several times during the picking season. When picking the crop for the There are several vertically spaced rows of the spindles SP so that the cotton- 'bOlls by the front picking fingers.

first time, the bolls at the top of the plant will usually be sufiiciently immature that it is unnecessary to cause the tops of the plants to be operated upon by both the front and back picker finger assemblies, and with this in view, the deflector plate as in vertical registry with the front assembly A, has been made easily detachable so that during this initial picking the tops of the plant may be allowed to project above the spindles of the front picking assembly. This avoids all likelihood of any injury to the unripened Such cotton that is ready for picking can be readily gathered by the rear finger assembly B.

A further advantage is gained by operating the machine with the passage cover plate 43 removed. This further advantage is gained partly by the fore and aft alinement of the operators station 24 with the plant passage 29 so that an operator at the station 24 can see through the.

uncovered portion of the passage adapted to be closed by the plate 43 and thereby observe the stalks of the plants in the forward end of the passage as well as those about to enter the passage. This improved vision for the operator makes it much easier for him to properly steer the apparatus with respect to the plant row.

The throat to the passage 29 is quite narrow making accurate steering essential.

Later in the season when the plants have an abundance of mature bolls at their tops, the

plate 43 can be reassembled with the picking unit so that the upper parts of the plants will; be deflected thereby downwardly for operationupon bythe front group of picking fingers as well as the rear group thereof.

A plant lifting device 5| is attached to the forward end of the unit 26 for raising the lowermost stems of the plants oil of the ground to a sufficient height for passing through the lower ones of the picking spindles SP. The device 5! comprises backwardly inclined rods 52 having ground-engaging runners 53 attached to their front ends.

Support for the picking unit 26 is provided by a frame 55 comprising a generally L-shapedframe member 56 having a fore and aft extending leg 5! and a laterally turned leg 58 having a juncture 59, A strut member 6! connects with the frame member 55 adjacently to the juncture 59 where the member 6| extends through an,

aperture (not shown) in the leg 5'! of the frame member 56. A welded connection 62 is provided between the members 6! and 56. The rear part of the leg 51 is supported upon the tractor axle housing 12 by a plate 63 to which the member 51 is secured by any standard means 63 in figure 1. A footing plate 64 is welded or otherwise secured to the free ends of the members 58 and BI, and this plate 64 is adapted to be secured to the tracter body It by means of cap screws 65 which are screwed. into bosses or pads 66 and 61 provided upon said body l0.

' The outer end of the strut 6! extending through the'frame leg 51 extends into and provides a bearing spindle for the hub 68 of a bell-crank 69, which has a pair of laterally spaced horizontal arms H and Hand an upright arm 13. The forward ends of the arms H and 12 mutually support the upper end of a linkage 14 which is attached to the picking unit by capscrews 14. By pivoting the bell-crank 69, the outer end of the arms H and 12 can be raised or lowered for changing the elevation of the picking unit which is suspended therefrom' through the link, 14.

Pivoting of the bell-crank 69 is effected manualli through a lever I 5 having its lower end attached to the hub of the bell-crank and operable over a quadrant I0, Fig. 2, for retaining a selected height of the picking unit. The upwardly projecting arm of the bell-crank is operated upon by the counter-balancing spring assembly 16, which is adjustably connected to a bracket I! on the back end of the frame leg 51 by a threaded rod I8 and a nut I9. ing spring I6 is connected to the frame 55 through the bracket '11 and the bell-crank 69, which may be retained in a selected pivoted relation by the engagement of the lever I5 with the quadrant I0 irrespective of whether the picking unit 26 is supported upon the forwardly projecting arms of the bell-crank, said counterbalancing spring can be assembled and disassembled from the tractor with the frame while the forwardly projecting arms of the bell-crank remain in a lowered or horizontal position which facilitates attachment and detachment of the picking unit.

Driving force is transmitted to the picking unit 26 through chains (not shown) in a transverse casing 8| disposed rearwardly of the axle housing I2. These chains are drivingly connected with a shaft 89, Fig. 1, which, through a universal joint 95, a shaft 96, a universal joint 9'1, and gearing (not shown) within a casing 98, is drivingly connected with the spindle assemblies A and B.

Cotton doffed from the doffers D into the casing or suction chamber 21 is carried upwardly through the conduit legs 32 and 33 by air caused to flow into the chamber 2? at the passage openings through which spindles SP project by means of a rotary blower I I I, Figs. 1 and 3. This blower is connected with the conduit legs 32 and 33 through an articulated conduit H3 having a joint H6 and a curved conduit I I4 having a connection with the rear end of the conduit H3 at a flexible joint H5. The cotton and air entering a vestibule I22 of the blower are induced into a cylindrical part of the blower having a cylindrical wall I I9 from which the cotton and air are discharged upwardly through a spout I I 8. From the upper end of the spout, the cotton and air are discharged against the under side of a grillework I54 which deflects cotton into the receptacle 3| while permitting discharge of the air together with undesired foreign particles, such as small plant stems and leaves, picked with the cotton.

The blower rotor (not shown) is arranged coaxially with a drive shaft I therefor, Fig. 3. Said shaft I25 and the rotor are driven at all times the engine is running, through a driving train consisting of a universal joint I49, Fig. 3, a shaft I48, Figs. 2 and 3, a universal joint I41, a short shaft I44 journaled in a bearing I45 of bracket I46, a pulley I43 on the shaft I44, and a belt I42 extending about said pulley and a driving pulley I4I constrained for rotation with the crank-shaft extension I5.

Having thus described the invention together with an illustrative environment therefor, I claim:

1. A cotton picking unit having a plant receiv-- ing passage open at opposite front and rear ends, and comprising a plant pressing plate at one side of the passage, a covered crop receiving compartment at the opposite side of said passage, a pick- Since the counter-balano- 3 ing instrumentality having parts movable to and from a section of said passage for transferring cotton from plants therein into said compartment, said passage being open at its top over said passage section, and a downwardly and rearwardly extending plant deflecting member detachably mounted over the passage to close the portion thereof over said passage section for deflecting the tops of tall plants downwardly thereinto.

2. A cotton picking unit having a plant receiving passage with open front and back ends and comprising covered compartment means alon side of the passage, said compartment means including opening providing means alongside of the passage and communicating therewith, picking instrumentality assemblies in the compartment means and spaced lengthwise of said passage and projecting thereinto through said opening for performing successive picking operations upon plants directed through the passage, said passage being open over at least the assembly nearest its front end to facilitate vision of plants in and forwardly of said passage, and a plant deflector member removably disposed over said top open portion of the passage to deflect the tops of tall mature plants downwardly into the passage for subjection to the front picking assembly.

3. A cotton picking unit having a plant receiving passage with open front and back ends and comprising covered compartment means alongside of the passage, said compartment means including opening providing means alongside of the passage and communicating therewith, picking instrumentality assemblies in the compartment means and spaced lengthwise of said passage and projecting thereinto through said opening means for performing successive picking operations upon plants directed through the passage, said passage being closed at its top over the assembly nearest its back end to deflect the tops of tall plants downwardly accessibly to the rear assembly, and said passage being open at its top over the assembly nearest its front end to facilitate vision of the plants in and forwardly of the front portion of said passage and to facilitate passage of the less mature first picking upper bolls of tall plants over the front assembly without subjection to treatment thereby.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3, wherein there is a plant deflector member remov'ably disposed in the top portion of the passage over the front assembly for service in fields where the crop is mature at the top of the plants, to deflect the tops of said plants downwardly so they are successively subjected to the operation of the picking assemblies.

CLARENCE R. HAGEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Hyman Sept. 19, 1944 

